Jonah's Second Chance

Read: Jonah 3:1-3a

"The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time . . ." (v. 1)

One of my favorite movies is The Natural. It's a great story about Roy Hobbs, a young baseball player with tremendous ability whose career was cut short by a bullet wound. After years of being away from the game, he is given a second chance to come back as a 35-year-old rookie. In one magical season, he makes the most of the opportunity by leading his team to the championship.

Jonah, too, got a second chance. I'm sure that several times in the ups and downs (mostly downs) of his life, he thought he was finished. But God gave him another chance. What tremendous words: "The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time." God wasn't through with Jonah yet.

Second chances are little reminders of God's grace to us. I say grace because Jonah really did not deserve a second chance. Nothing in his personal history suggested that he should be given another opportunity to prophesy. He had disobeyed God, run away from God. And yet God comes back with another commission.

He does the same for you and me. Who can claim to be qualified to be used by God? No one! It is only by grace.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for second chances. Help us to make the most of them, for your sake. Amen.

Used with Permission